Writing for High-Speed Readers: On the Pit Crew

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From NetSpeed Leader Volume 21, February 2005

Imagine this scenario: It's a high-stakes championship, and you want your team to win. You've been working together to grab this prize for months, and now you are ready. Your vehicle has clocked record speeds, the driver is totally focused, and your crew is operating like a well-oiled machine. The preparation is over. Everything depends on today's performance.

One critical component will be fast, efficient communication. Your crew and the driver will need to understand signals instantly. In pit stops, you'll communicate in split seconds. Even a moment of miscommunication could mean a second- or third-place finish—or much worse -- but you won't let that happen.

On your job, the situation is the same: high stakes, a team effort, and lots of preparation and resources devoted to your project. On the job, as in the racing event, your success depends on efficient, high-speed communication. Maybe lost seconds won't lose the prize, but minutes and hours can. That's why it's instructive to imagine the speedway scenario as you write on the job.

Tune Up Your E-mail
E-mail is high-speed communication, but it's successful only if it leads to high performance. Here are six ways to succeed:

1. Use a specific subject line so your reader will immediately recognize your subject and any action required. Instead of "December Meeting Preparations Underway," write "Agenda Items Due for 12/8 Meeting." Surely the pit crew must be quick and specific.
2. Pass the one-screen test. Include all essential information in the first screen. That way, your reader will immediately see it—and not race on without it.
3. Send readers only relevant messages. If a message isn't necessary for everyone in an e-mail group, say so at the beginning. For example, write, "If you have submitted your revised budget, please delete this message." Would you expect a high-speed driver to scan messages intended for others? If not, don’t expect it of your high-speed readers.
4. Cut off long e-mail threads. When a long e-mail thread communicates important information, summarize the thread in one concise message. Just as you couldn't expect your driver to read on and on to get the message, you can’t expect your on-the-job reader to keep scrolling.
5. Provide other means of contacting you such as telephone, fax, and U.S. mail. That way, when a topic must go beyond e-mail, your reader can quickly pick up the phone, fax a document, or mail a parcel. Racing teams always have spare parts and back-up plans.
6. Avoid "wallpaper" and other graphics that get in the way of your message. Imagine the pit crew distracting their driver with dancing smiley faces!

Get Rid of Obstacles

Your readers need to speed through your documents, whether you write policies, procedures, requests, reports, announcements, minutes, letters, or something else. Here are ways around time-consuming obstacles.

1. Write what the reader needs to know -- not simply what you want to say. Not focusing on the reader's needs can be a big obstacle to quick comprehension. It forces the reader to waste valuable time wondering, "What’s this about?" and "What am I supposed to do?" Be sure to write what your reader needs -- especially at the beginning of your document.
2. Use short, crisp sentences. Complex sentences with twists and turns are tough to navigate, and they slow down the reader. For clear, quick communication, use simple sentences averaging 15 to 20 words each.
3. Use positive language. Negative or blaming language builds a huge barrier. It can slow communication to a stand still. To help your reader speed ahead, change a phrase like the blaming "You misunderstood" to the positive or neutral "Let’s clarify." Change "We can’t do that!" to the positive "We can do this."
4. Use clear vocabulary. Imagine waving a pink flag at your high-speed driver. He or she could not recognize the signal and would waste time scanning the context, trying to figure out what you intended. Unrecognizable jargon and abbreviations have the same effect on your business reader. Use clear language or define your terms.
5. Tell your reader what to do. Being in the dark is a definite impediment to winning. If you want your reader to do something, state it plainly. Avoid vague statements like "The printing costs are needed to complete the proposal"; instead write, "Give Ted the printing costs by noon tomorrow."

Streamline Your Work and Theirs

In auto-racing, every attempt is made to streamline the vehicle. Your writing is a vehicle too. By streamlining it, you help both your reader and yourself. Try these methods:

1. Lighten the load. Get rid of extra words that weigh down—and slow down—your reader. For example, reduce the phrase "at the present time" to now. Shorten "on a quarterly basis" to quarterly. Revise "First. . . Second . . . Third. . . Finally" to bullet points 1 to 4.
2. Format for quick skimming. Break up thick, cumbersome paragraphs into neat chunks: short paragraphs, numbered items, and bullet points. Use white space between the chunks to keep the reader on track.
3. Use clear flags and markers. A document without headings is like a track with no beginning or end and no excitement in between. In racing, the green flag means "Go," yellow flag means "Caution," red means "Stop," and the checkered flag indicates the finish line. Like these flags, headings such as "Capital Required," "Deliverables," and "Next Steps" communicate at a glance.
4. Anticipate needs. Documents bounce back and forth between writers and readers when the reader’s needs have not been met. Streamline or eliminate this back-and-forth process by anticipating your reader’s needs. To anticipate, ask yourself, "What does my reader need? What else does my reader need?" Then provide that information for your reader. In auto-racing and other high-speed activities, winners anticipate.

Do you want to see yourself and your team in the winner's circle? You can. Just follow the tips above for successful high-speed communication.

Note: This article is based on the brand new NetSpeed Leadership module Writing for High-Speed Readers. The module also features writing and editing exercises, case-study discussion, self-assessments, and practice using planning and editing tools.

Contact us for more information about Writing for High-Speed Readers at your company.